Open All Year
| LOCATION: | Top |
The Observatory Hotel is superbly located near the Rocks and the city's Business Centre and it is the ideal base from which to work and explore exciting Sydney, Australia.
Distances:
- From Sydney Airport: 12 km: 30 minutes by car
- From the railway station: 1,5 km: 7 minutes walk
- From the Overseas Passenger Terminal: 1,5 km: 7 minutes walk
- From the ferry terminal: 2 km: 10 minutes walk
| MEETING & CONFERENCE: | Top |
Located just 20 minutes drive from Sydney Airport and only a short walk from the Sydney CBD, The Observatory Hotel is the ideal venue for meetings and conferences of any kind.
Reminiscent of a grand 19th-century Australian home, The Observatory Hotel specialises in meetings and conferences for smaller groups of up to 100 people who seek personalised service, exceptional facilities and thoughtful attention to detail for their event.
Meeting planners can be assured that their delegates will be well looked after - The Observatory Hotel has been named one of the best hotels in the world in Condé Nast Traveller magazine's Gold List 2011 (UK) and was the only Australian hotel recognised for its outstanding service.
The hotel's skilled conference and events team is on hand to meet all your needs, combining the highest professional standards with a meticulous attention to detail.
It also has a range of leisure amenities in the hotel including a fitness centre, a stunning indoor swimming pool and a luxury Day Spa to keep your conference attendees entertained. There are also two fantastic dining options on-site: Galileo Restaurant and Globe Brasserie & Bar so delegates can relax and unwind in the evenings.
Offering exceptional accommodation, upscale facilities and attentive service, The Observatory Hotel is an outstanding choice for events in Sydney.
Cornwallis Suites
The beautifully appointed Cornwallis Suite is ideal for meetings, functions, weddings and conferences for up to 100 delegates. The room can be easily divided into two areas, allowing flexible accommodation for smaller numbers.
Drawing Room
Guests will feel at home in the intimate atmosphere of the Drawing Room. This room can be used for drinks and canapés before sitting down to a magnificent lunch or dinner in the Cornwallis Suite, Orient Room or Reception Room.
Boardrooms
There are four comfortable boardrooms with seating for up to ten with the added advantage of natural light.
The Orient Room
The Orient Room provides an exotic, oriental setting to enhance any function or meeting for up to 70 guests.
| BARS & RESTAURANTS: | Top |
The Observatory Hotel: is renowned for its fine Cuisine, ranging from Elegant Dining in the Galileo Restaurant to the light menu in the Club like Globe Bar.
Galileo: Opulently decorated with Fortuny fabrics and original art, the Galileo offers an exciting cuisine based upon a tradional French style with the delights of a tantalising Japanese influence, complemented by an extensive cellar featuring the best Australian and Italian wines.
The Globe: it offers a selection of contemporary and traditional Australian dishes, ideal for a light lunch or post theatre supper.
| HISTORY: | Top |
Just minutes from the CBD and Walsh Bay, The Observatory Hotel is located in the historic heart of Sydney at Millers Point, The Rocks. Prior to European settlement, this area was home to the Eora Aboriginal people who had lived here for thousands of years. After the arrival of the first Europeans in 1788, the area grew from a campsite to a flourishing community and commercial area. Different waves of settlers arrived including political prisoners exiled after the Irish rebellion in 1790s. Along the waterfront extensive wharves and warehouses developed to support the growth in trade and commerce.
The Rocks also became Australias first Chinatown following an influx of Chinese settlers in mid 1860s but by the late 19th century The Rocks had become run down, overcrowded and a meeting place for criminals and prostitutes. The Government stepped in, buying up the whole area in a bid to clean it up. It demolished uninhabitable places and built new workers cottages in a bid to control the area. In the 1960s local residents, with the support of the Union movement, were successful in their bid to prevent high-rise development. Since then, The Rocks has been embraced as one of Australias most significant historic areas, loved by locals and visitors alike. Historic architecture dominates the peninsulas streetscape and the area still boasts many of its original buildings. Today, the renovated warehouses, sailors homes, and former dens of iniquity are home to a mix of Restaurants, curiosity Shops and Art Galleries.
| ACCOMMODATION: | Top |
The Observatory Hotel offers 78 Deluxe Rooms, 9 Junior Suites, 12 Executive Suites and the Observatory Suite, with some Suites and Rooms interconnecting. Four ground-floor Rooms have been adapted for the convenience of Disabled guests and the second floor, which is completely Non-Smoking, features duvets in each Bedroom. Interconnecting Rooms and Suites are also available.
Room & Suites Types:
Deluxe Rooms: The Observatory Hotel's deluxe Rooms have the comfortable, cosy atmosphere of a home away from home. Elegantly appointed with mahogany custom-made furniture, each Room features King, Queen or Twin Beds and is decorated with the utmost attention to detail. Rich tapestry curtains, set off by rope tasselled tiebacks, provide the perfect backdrop for the antique-style breakfast table and down-filled armchair, while Colonial-style sash windows open to circulate fresh air and provide charming views of Observatory Hill and historic Walsh Bay.
Junior Suites: Individual character, exceptional furnishings, spaciousness and elegant charm distinguish the Junior Suites. Each features wood-panelled walls adorned with etchings of Australian native birds and botanicals, and original sketches of Sydney at the turn of the century. Many have balconies with views of the inner Sydney Harbour of Walsh Bay, Darling Harbour or the city. Junior Suites also have a relaxing sitting area, with sofa and armchairs within the same Room, and include a facsimile machine with its own dedicated number.
Executive Suites : Named after the carriages of the legendary Orient-Express, Executive Suites at The Observatory Hotel are renowned for their classic elegance, exquisite fittings and intimate charm. All Executive Suites feature separate sitting Rooms, with full Bar facilities, as well as dedicated Facsimile Machines, Modem Lines, CD and DVD Players. Many of them feature domed ceilings, arch windows and traditional four-poster beds. Many also have balconies with charming views of Observatory Hill, or the inner Sydney Harbour of Walsh Bay and Darling Harbour with its beautiful sunsets.Observatory Suite: The Hotel's most spectacular suite is intimate, luxurious and filled with objets d'art. The Bedroom features a magnificent four-poster bed with mahogany hand-carved front posts, as well as a spacious en suite Bathroom lined with wall-to-wall Pretorian marble. It also features a fully equipped Kitchen and guest Toilet, and has interconnecting doors to deluxe Rooms either side, if required. Furnished with elegant, custom-made furniture, the sitting Room's pale cream colour scheme is offset by the black and gold, oriental-style coffee table and armoire cabinet. The sofa and armchairs face a magnificent white marble, antique fireplace, highlighted by a classic oil painting of Mosman Bay. Original artworks and an antique, gilt-framed mirror cover the rich, fabric-lined walls and provide the perfect backdrop for the antique walnut writing desk and elegant mahogany dining table with Queen Anne chairs. The rich tasselled curtains at each window frame charming views of historic and heritage listed Observatory Hill.
Room Facilities:
- Disabled Services
- Non Smoking
- Luxurious Marble Bathroom
- Oversize Bath
- CD and Video Player
- Stereo Television Set with 24 hour International News Service
- Tea and Coffee-Making Facilities
- Mini Bar
- In-Room Safe
- Polished Cedar Wardrobe
- Slippers
- Umbrella
- Heated Towel Tacks
- Separate Bath and Shower
- Double Vanities
- Detachable Hairdryers
- Fax/Modem lines
| SERVICES & FACILITIES: | Top |
- Health and Leisure Club
- Indoor Swimming Pool
- VIP Services
- Tennis Court
- Limousine Services
- Spa
| OTHER INFORMATION: | Top |
VIP Club:
Guests that have spent 35 stays or more with The Observatory Hotel are entitled to join our exclusive VIP Club offering the following benefits:
- Complimentary upgrades upon availability
- Priority on Reservation Wait List
- Priority complimentary early Check-in upon availability
- Priority complimentary late Check-out upon availability
- Express Check-in and Check-out facility
- Personal Bathrobe and Slippers
- Complimentary use of our Flotation Tank
- Personal assistance and introduction with hotel bookings overseas and a 10% discount off the published accommodation rate
- Personal Suit Locker, which can be held at the Hotel during your absence and includes complimentary pressing after each stay, limited to one Suit, one Shirt or Blouse and Laundry of Undergarments and Socks
Health & Leisure Club:
The Observatory Hotels exclusive Health and Leisure Club is complimentary for in-house guests and also offers limited outside membership. The Club also offers:
Equipped with:
- Executive Fitness Programmes
- Expert Techniques
- Personal Consultations
- In-room services such as Massage
- Separate Changing Areas with Personal Lockers
- Showering facilities
- Complimentary Robes
- Slippers and Toiletries
- Fresh fruit is always available
- Indoor Swimming Pool
Tennis Courts:
Located across the road from The Observatory Hotel, the Tennis Court is the only one in Sydneys CBD and is accessible to guests, local and non-local residents. Hours of operation are 7am to 10pm Monday to Sunday.
Spa & Leisure:
Sydney is renowned for its relaxed lifestyle and The Observatory Hotel is no exception.Whatever the season, the Hotel's 20 metre heated pool, mirrored by a ceiling of fibre optic lights designed to recreate the constellations of the southern hemisphere, beckons invitingly, while the more energetic may work out in the Gym, equipped with the latest computerised training equipment. Alternatively you may enjoy a game of Tennis, which can be easily arranged at the Hotel's court across the road from the Hotel.
In contrast, what could be more relaxing than a visit to our Day Spa, with a wide choice of Body and Skin Treatments, using Dermalogica and Li'Tya products, including Facials, Body Wraps, Ancient Therapies, Mud Masks, and Massage and for those who feel like a complete break, the flotation Tank offers total escape. Superbly located in the Historic Rocks District, The Observatory Hotel is also the ideal base from which to explore Sydney. Only ten minutes walk to Circular Quay and Sydney Harbour, this area provides access the Sydney's most popular attractions and leisure activities.
